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Elminster
Speaks - Part 29

By Ed Greenwood

The Battle at the Bar

The Whistling Wizard, Continued
(Fair/Cheap)

The prevailing peace in the Whistling Wizard was bound to be shattered by two
separate Harper attacks -- but by sheer happenstance (unless, of course, one
believes in gods having a savage collective sense of humor), the attacks coincided
with a stopover at the Wizard of the Tarntar, a highly secretive Sembian consortium
of wizards and wealthy merchants. This little-known trading alliance is a collection
of dabblers in slaving activities, particularly affairs involving the kidnappings
of prominent Sembian youths. Smuggling and warehouse thefts are also among their
skills (but a better accounting of the Tarntar is a matter for another time).

Suffice it to say that on the afternoon in question, the mages of the Tarntar
staying at the Wizard (not counting apprentices, bodyguards, and familiars)
numbered three: "Five Flames" Alro Randulkyn of Saerloon, Master-of-Moons
Hastammer Orlim of Ordulin, and Skulto Mreth of Yhaunn. Five Flames (NE male
human Evo9) was a cruel, fun-loving, and impulsive roisterer of a mage, who
often and enthusiastically enjoyed good wine, good clothes, and bad ladies,
and was a rather careless in his spellcastings. Hastammer Orlim (LE human male
Wiz15) was an elderly and severe man who cultivated an awe-inspiring reputation
as a mage of power enough to talk to the deities -- and have some of them take
his advice. Skulto Mreth (LE male human Ill13) was a close-mouthed, nondescript
master of disguises and privacy, who had many covert investments in the Moonsea
cities, more enemies than most folks can count, and a collection of enchanted
whips matched only by the numbers of slaves he'd used them on. Cold and calm,
he was careful and always prepared for calamity.

Not counting various adherents of no account and smallware peddlers, the Tarntar
merchants staying over at the Wizard included Ghaurann Rhee of Ordulin (CE male
human Rog4/Wiz3, a handsome and silver-tongued seller of skin salves, cosmetics,
and face and figure temporary-adornment spells), and Tharath Shemmer of Selgaunt
(a dealer in furs and fine leather apparel).

All of these formidable characters were shocked when Elminster of Shadowdale
strolled into the common room, openly and alone, and called for a tankard of
beer, leaving his pipe to float by itself in midair, smoking gently. They sat
frozen, doing nothing, as Elminster teased Alro about his recent conquests,
asked the Master-of-Moons how the deities were doing, and warned Skulto that
some of his underlings were fiddling accounts for themselves, and he'd best
check his slaving books right swiftly.

None dared attack the Old Mage of Shadowdale -- and at length he smiled sweetly,
seated himself in Orlim's lap, and changed his shape, becoming the Simbul (who
this false Elminster truly was).

At least two of the Tarntar mages didn't recognize the Witch-Queen of Aglarond
and launched furious spell attacks on her. She laughed merrily -- the signal
for Storm and the apprentices to charge into the room, whilst the Simbul devoted
herself to making sure the spells now flying around the common room didn't destroy,
transform, or set afire the inn.

The merchants ran to get their bodyguards, and their haste caused the Knights
of Myth Drannor, whose strike force was nearing the inn, to hasten to the attack.